British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, identified by surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of approach shafts leading to the depot... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces participating in this mission for their skill and their bravery," he said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
